A longitudinal study on multiple frailty and its associations with depression and social participation in older adults

To explore the changes in the physical, cognitive, and social frailty over a two-year follow-up and to identify the predictors associated with multiple frailty. This longitudinal cohort study utilized data from 2,534 recruited participants aged ≥ 70 years from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (2016-2019). From baseline to follow-up, the percentages of physical, cognitive, and social frailty decreased from 3.6% to 3.0%, 2.9% to 2.1%, and 18.3% to 10.5%, respectively. Factors that influenced multiple frailty were taking more than five medications increased the risk of physical and cognitive frailty (odds ratio [OR] = 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.18-1.53, OR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.53-3.38, respectively). The absence of national health check-ups increased the risk of physical and social frailty by 1.31 times and 1.30 times (95% CI: 1.11-1.54, 95% CI: 1.04-1.63, respectively). Depression and lower social participation emerged as key risk factors across multiple frailty. This research comprehensively understands modifiable and non-modifiable factors contributing to multiple frailty. By identifying depression and social participation as the most significant predictors across multiple frailty, this study highlights the urgent need for integrated interventions to prevent and manage multiple frailty.